Guest Blog: How to lose

Editor's note: This week, after falling to 1-6 in the German ProB league, Jack Eggleston puts losing in perspective. It's fitting after Penn football dropped its first Ivy League game in over two years — half of the team has never had to deal with a conference loss.

People often say that losing builds character, that you learn more from a loss than a win. I never bought into that idea. I'm more of the George Brett school of thought when he says, "If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is like kissing your grandmother with her teeth out." Whether it's a game against Princeton in the Palestra or a "friendly" game of Blokus with my roommates, losing has never sat too well with me. As a result, my parents had to suffer through some painfully quiet post-game dinners over the last four years.

Having played several different sports on umpteen teams growing up, I've gotten a first hand look at how different people deal with losing. Some people try to break any object unfortunate to get caught in the path of their rage. I've seen everything from putters to cell phones to school desks succumb to this fate. Others fall into a temporary depression and become inconsolable. Some assume the role of cheerleader and make it their job to pick up everybody else.

But one group always stuck out to me: the people who look like they don't care. For the longest time, I hated them and couldn't understand how they could possibly distance themselves so quickly from what just happened. With age I've developed a more nuanced view of those around me. Sometimes the guy breaking things is just putting on a show or the guy who looks like he could care less is completely distraught. People don't always fit neatly into one of those four categories.

As I look around the locker room of a team that just blew a second straight 4th quarter lead to fall to 1-6, I see teammates that appear angry or depressed or motivated or carefree. I wish I could say that this is unfamiliar territory but I've experienced enough "character building" to know how this feels already. So how do I make it different this time?

People love sports for its clear cut, black and white, binary nature. Because of this, there will always be a loser. I love this about sports too. As long as it's not me.